“O Rakshasa, It might be possible for a person to live for a long time after forcibly taking away Shachi Devi, a woman of unmatched beauty and wife of the wielder of the thunderbolt [Indra]. But a person who abuses me shall not be released from death even if they were to drink amrita [nectar which grants immortality].” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 48.24)

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जीवेच्चिरं वज्रधरस्य हस्ताच्छचीं प्रधृष्याप्रतिरूपरूपाम्।
न मादृशीं राक्षस दूशयित्वा पीतामृतस्यापि तवास्ति मोक्षः।।

jīvecciraṃ vajradharasya hastācchacīṃ pradhṛṣyāpratirūparūpām।
na mādṛśīṃ rākṣasa dūśayitvā pītāmṛtasyāpi tavāsti mokṣaḥ।।

“Something about the Ramayana really resonates with me. Either the original Sanskrit version from Valmiki or the more recent retelling by Goswami Tulsidas. I am not picky. In fact, any glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within that avatara is pleasing to the soul. I could listen for hours and hours.

“I understand that this is also kirtanam, which is one of the processes of bhakti-yoga. We typically associate kirtanam with chanting the holy names, such as within the maha-mantra. Sankirtana is chanting together, where others join in.

“Kirtanam is also describing, so published works which describe the gunas, or glories, of the one who is both nirguna and saguna also qualify. The characters within the Ramayana story are totally relatable. I can understand their motivations. Their sentiments make sense. I feel their pain. I have similarly faced situations where the right choice wasn’t obvious.

“One thing which often occurs is I have to put the book down or step away for a few moments. This is because I am overcome by emotion. I hear something one of the characters says and it really hits home. I am amazed, overjoyed, and stunned at the same time.

“I think their glorifications of God are without comparison. Take any of the verses involving a conversation between Sita Devi and Ravana. Sita can insult Ravana like no other. He truly deserves it. On the other side, her glorification of her husband, Shri Rama, is unbelievable.

“It is poetically beautiful. It is accurate. It is appropriate to the situation. The words last through the centuries. I don’t have to search far and wide for a definition of God. Sita Devi provides it within every glorification of her husband.

“How am I supposed to follow the same? How can I properly glorify the Almighty when others have already done it so well? It seems like a futile endeavor. I don’t think I could ever speak that well about anyone else. I am almost embarrassed to try.”

Repeating the holy names is sufficient glorification: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The holy name is nondifferent from the person it represents. The holy name includes all dharma, in the way the sky has all the stars and the earth all the seeds. The holy name is purna, or complete.

जथा भूमि सब बीजमय नखत निवास अकास |
रामनाम सब धरममय जानत तुलसीदास ||

jathā bhūmi saba bījamaya nakhata nivāsa akāsa |
rāmanāma saba dharamamaya jānata tulasīdāsa ||

“Just as within the earth are found every kind of seed and within the sky live all the stars, Tulsidas knows that Shri Rama’s holy name is the reservoir of all dharma.” (Dohavali, 29)

There is the story that Maharishi Valmiki himself felt incapable upon seeing another person’s retelling of the pastimes of Shri Rama. Hanuman’s version was superior, in Valmiki’s eyes. Rather than be the cause of suppression of devotional output, Hanuman simply destroyed his own version.

The devotional mood is that a person always feels incapable. They consider others to be superior to them. They think that others must be so dear to the Supreme, because they are so dedicated and they work so hard.

This does not mean that work should stop. It is an individual relationship, after all. The parents love their children equally. One may grow up to be a world-famous scholar, while another barely passes primary education.

The level of ability is not as important as the connection. It is said that the person who cleans the temple of Vishnu is on an equal status with the person who delivers lectures and leads dependents towards the path of transcendence.

This is in the case of Vaikuntha, which is the spiritual realm. Therefore, even modest glorification is worthwhile. No effort is wasted. Every second spent in the shelter of the Divine has lasting benefit, through to future lifetimes.

In Closing:

With every gesture made,
Proper obeisances paid.

Like person temple to keep,
Clean, proper and neat.

Equal to one on highest seat,
Both purpose of life to meet.

Because Shri Rama as judge to preside,
Discerning sentiment inside.

Categories: questions

Tags: hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana